Ebola In Nigeria: Nurse Marks Second Confirmed Death

Nigeria confirmed its second Ebola casualty on Wednesday. Pictured is a volunteer working at a cemetery in the Kailahun district of Nigeria. Photo: Reuters

A nurse who treated a man with Ebola has become Nigeria's second Ebola casualty after the recent death of Patrick Sawyer, a government consultant and dual U.S.-Liberian citizen who collapsed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and was immediately quarantined. Five new Ebola cases have also been reported in the country, according to Nigerian Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country. Head of the World Health Organization Dr. Margaret Chan warned of a global catastrophe last week unless the disease was adequately contained: "It is taking place in areas with fluid population movements over porous borders, and it has demonstrated its ability to spread via air travel, contrary to what has been seen in past outbreaks."

The WHO confirmed 163 new cases and 61 new deaths in its Ebola update on Monday. To date, there have been 887 Ebola casualties in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, where the crisis started earlier this summer.